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Your stance on "pity" badges.

What do you think of "pity" badges?

Personally, I like them. They're refreshing for the plot. Without them, Kanto would have amounted to just gym battle after gym battle (and we never would have gotten that awesome Sabrina arc!). Just because he didn't get them traditionally doesn't mean he didn't earn them. He rescued Erika's Gloom, made Sabrina laugh (Psychic types were OP, so Ash couldn't possibly beat her plausibly), saved Cerulean Gym from TR, and impressed Brock with his action of putting his Pokemon's health before a victory; the least they could do is reward him, right? He did prove himself, after all.

So yeah, they're pretty underrated, and we need more Gym arcs like that.

Granted it was during an earlier period and writing was different back then, so I'm not gonna complain. I think its an interesting idea at least, because it just goes to show that a gym leaders true purpose is to test a trainer's character, not simply their battling ability. In the end, thats what matters, no matter how "good" or "poorly" executed.

I support Save Our Voice Actors, a Pokemon fan group in favor of returning the voice actors in the anime dubbed by 4Kids (seasons 1-8). facebook.com/saveourvoiceactors

It's one of those things that can be cool with execution, but it got ridiculous after a while. With Brock it was in name of a plot point, because Ash's compassion is what made Brock join in the first place. While Erika and Sabrina's badges were both earned in rightful ways since Sabrina was technically invincible and Ash was wrongfully refused a battle at the Celedon gym. I still think that Ash didn't earn the Cerulean badge though. He had beat Team Rocket several times already, so it's hardly a worthy accomplishment.

I'm glad that they've gotten rid of them in a way though. Because it does kind of make Ash look bad when he doesn't earn his badges.

even if we don't understand each other, that's not a reason to reject each other. There are two sides to any argument. Is there one point of view that has all the answers? Give it some thought.

^ This is the reason why I like arguing. If I come off as standoffish or overly angry in an argument, don't worry. I'm probably having the time of my life. Whether I agree with them or not, the pokemon fandom has a lot of different opinions, and I love how nobody is afraid to share them.

Yeah I remember the pity badges... thankfully it mainly occured in the Kanto region. I'm glad that Ash had to actually battle the gym leaders and win in the later seasons. I feel that having to re-battle a gym leader makes for better story telling, like Ash's rebattle with Lenora in BW. Expecially since it took me more than two turns to beat her myself (she was the hardest gym leader for me in Unova for some reason).

We have to look at the time period. I believe that it was stated that the writers were only planning the kanto series and then would call it quits. Hench why there were so many pitty badges. Every gym battle that Ash went to he never won on his first try. He either got it for a good deed ( Brock, Misty, and Erika) won by default ( Sabrina was not able to battle cuz of laughter), won after a rematch either through loss or Team Rocket interference (Lt.Surge, Koga, and Blaine) or challenge the right gym but not the true gym leader (Team Rocket). But look at how popular the series has gotten and its to the point that the writers make Ash mad at the sight of a gym leader giving out pitty badges.

On Nov 21, 2010, I'm going on vacation. I'm going to a country to visit two friends and a grumpy oldtimer who are awaiting my return.

I didn't really mind pity badges to be honest. I mean I know that's one of the supposed "flaws" of Kanto but was it ever stated that Ash had to win battles in Kanto to get a badge. That call is up to the Gym Leader and if they felt Ash deserved it, so be it. Look, we know Ash wasn't a great trainer in Kanto but he was likeable, he was a good kid, he loved Pokémon and he always saved the day. I think he did deserved the badges.

...but for every badge gained like this, I lose a battle I can wrap my mind around. XD

so its a win-lose situation ._.

To be fair, there were good battles in there especially Ash vs Blaine and Ash vs Lt.Surge. I wasn't that impressed by the Brock, Erika and Koga Gym Battles but I also liked the TRio, Misty and Sabrina battles.

To be fair, there were good battles in there especially Ash vs Blaine and Ash vs Lt.Surge. I wasn't that impressed by the Brock, Erika and Koga Gym Battles but I also liked the TRio, Misty and Sabrina battles.

My stance on pity badges is that only two of them were certified pity badges: the Cascade Badge and Rainbow Badge. The Boulder Badge might qualify as well, but you could make an argument that the Boulder Badge was Brock's pity badge and not Ash's; it was himself he was feeling sorry for when he gave it to Ash. And no, I do not think the Marsh Badge was a pity badge at all. Ash didn't win the battle, but Sabrina definately lost it, so the badge was fairly Ash's. All in all, Kanto's rep for "pity badges" is blown out of proportion by the fandom.

I didn't watch most of Kanto, but while I think that it is refreshing, the amount of pity badges (according to most posters) in kanto is ridiculous. At most, we should just get 1 "pity" badges. Not all gym leaders are warm and sunny and pitiful, so I prefer Ash to rightfully earn them rather than getting pity from a gym leader. 1 at most, lol. More than that, it'd be ridiculous.

It's one of those things that can be cool with execution, but it got ridiculous after a while. With Brock it was in name of a plot point, because Ash's compassion is what made Brock join in the first place. While Erika and Sabrina's badges were both earned in rightful ways since Sabrina was technically invincible and Ash was wrongfully refused a battle at the Celedon gym. I still think that Ash didn't earn the Cerulean badge though. He had beat Team Rocket several times already, so it's hardly a worthy accomplishment.

I'm glad that they've gotten rid of them in a way though. Because it does kind of make Ash look bad when he doesn't earn his badges.

Depends on how the pity badge is executed. It wasn't too bad in Kanto, even though I swear it happened up until Ash got to battle Blaine (I don't count Brock as something he won fair and square, though Lt. Surge's gym battle was possibly the best Gym Leader battle in all of Kanto), in which case he truly did win it. It makes sense that the Gym Leader, while they are required to battle you, are looking for your skill as a Trainer, and how much you really care for Pokémon no matter what. But that doesn't mean they should automatically break down every time you do a little service for them. Ash most of the time got really lucky because of Team Rocket's timing.

I haven't really paid much attention to the later gym battles to see whether they were strategic wins or pity badges (and the fact I stopped watching after Advanced Battle), but I do remember feeling ripped off whenever Ash got his badge and we never once saw the Gym Leader's last Pokémon faint. I always have wondered if he ever learned from it all or not.

Since I don't really enjoy the battling as much as most watchers I don't mind them so long as the episode is good. Most of the episodes where Ash got a badge he didn't legitimately win (including episodes the Gym Leader forfeited or he tied or even the Roxie handicap match) were better then some other episodes where Ash won but it was hardly entertaining to watch (Mossdeep Gym and Elesa's Gym).

I have to admit that ash got a lot of 'pity badges' in kanto, but otherwise it would have taken twice as long. I wouldn't mind him getting some now, just as long as they weren't just thrown in there. As long as there is a good story behind them then they're ok.

Personally, I like them. They're refreshing for the plot. Without them, Kanto would have amounted to just gym battle after gym battle (and we never would have gotten that awesome Sabrina arc!). Just because he didn't get them traditionally doesn't mean he didn't earn them. He rescued Erika's Gloom, made Sabrina laugh (Psychic types were OP, so Ash couldn't possibly beat her plausibly), saved Cerulean Gym from TR, and impressed Brock with his action of putting his Pokemon's health before a victory; the least they could do is reward him, right? He did prove himself, after all.

So yeah, they're pretty underrated, and we need more Gym arcs like that.

~marioluigifan05

Pity badges don't serve any purpose to Ash now that he's been a winning fandom with gymbattles after Kanto. If you think they will dumb Ash down even more to gain back pity badges like he used to than you just need to re-watch the old series again.

It's great, because it was just the beginning of the journey. Things happen like that. It's wrong to say pity though, he did deserve them. The gym leaders test the trainers skills and stance, if they deem the trainer worthy, they will give the badge.

Ash had a reason in kanto to get "pitty" badges. He was a new trainer. just starting out he didn't know that much. It was fair. Now though, no. Unless its specified circumstances Ash can not just loose a battle 5 times and have the leader be like "oh..well...here" -that was kinda an out there example-

I would much rather see some development with Ash's emotions. Make him loose, once or possibly even twice until he finally gets it. Make us root for him and want him to win. Then make us feel good that he won. They did that really well with the Surge fight.

They break up the norm yes but it shouldn't become a norm. 1 pitty badge would be all I would want and even then I see a lot of people complaining about it.

Ash had a reason in kanto to get "pitty" badges. He was a new trainer. just starting out he didn't know that much. It was fair. Now though, no. Unless its specified circumstances Ash can not just loose a battle 5 times and have the leader be like "oh..well...here" -that was kinda an out there example-

I would much rather see some development with Ash's emotions. Make him loose, once or possibly even twice until he finally gets it. Make us root for him and want him to win. Then make us feel good that he won. They did that really well with the Surge fight.

They break up the norm yes but it shouldn't become a norm. 1 pitty badge would be all I would want and even then I see a lot of people complaining about it.